Crying Babies and Napping Older Children...

[kendallina]

This is long, feel free to skip to bolded question if you want ...

I am a preschool-only provider and I am currently pregnant (due in 6 weeks!). I'm trying to figure out child care options for my baby for next fall. It will not be possible for him to be here with me all day because of the kind of program that I run.

One option would be to have him in childcare during the morning hours when I run preschool-like activities and then have him here with me in the afternoon (DH could pick him up and bring him to me). The preschoolers will still be with me and they will be napping from 1-3pm.

Part of my concern is that he'll likely be awake for some or all of their naptime and he will be noisy-crying, fussy, squealing- all the fun stuff. He'll be 5 months old at the beginning of next school year.

How do you handle your infants when your older kids are sleeping? I have a separate livingroom space where him and I will be, but it's not far away from my nappers and there's no doors.

Do you use white noise? Do they just get used to baby noises?

Help! I really like this option best because then I can spend more time with him and also pay less for childcare. Plus there are staggering few childcare options in my small town for infants.
Thanks!

[MunchkinWrangler]

White noise, air purifiers, anything to drown out the sound. To be honest, they do get used to it and eventually won't wake up from it. It can take some time though.

[Unregistered]

When I had a fussy baby who was awake at nap, I put on quiet classical music in the room the nappers were in.
Then I played very very quiet easy-listening music in the next room where I was with the baby.
Having the two different sounds going but neither loud, masked more baby sounds.

[Ariana]

White noise for the nappers or even both. Drown out the sound for sure. We all had to sleep in a hotel room together once. My kids were 3 and 3 months. I had two sound machines going...one by the 3 yr old and one by the 3 month old so they couldn't hear eachother!

[kendallina]

Ok, this seems like it could totally work! What do you like to use for white noise?

[Ariana]

Ok, this seems like it could totally work! What do you like to use for white noise?

I have specific white noise machines. They usually have nature sounds etc on them but one is usually "white noise". My other machine has a "waterfall" sound that works for white noise. I literally have 4 sound machines!! I have never had an issue with sleeping kids at my daycare ever

This is my favoriite one http://www.amazon.com/HoMedics-SS-20...=Sound+machine

[kendallina]

I have specific white noise machines. They usually have nature sounds etc on them but one is usually "white noise". My other machine has a "waterfall" sound that works for white noise. I literally have 4 sound machines!! I have never had an issue with sleeping kids at my daycare ever

This is my favoriite one http://www.amazon.com/HoMedics-SS-20...=Sound+machine

4 sound machines!! I love it...ok, I see this is serious business.

ETA: That's the one on my registry for my baby's room. Good to know I was on to something, it's been a while since I've done this baby thing!

[Lovisa]

I jut use a loud fan (not aiming at the kids but just in the room). Works wonders and my older kiddos don't wake up at all when the little ones cry or squeal!